From a phone call from Coloradan Larry Hales today (10:30am MST, 4/29/02):

Early this morning (4:00am Palestine Time; 8:00pm Mtn Time – USA), Hebron was attacked by the Israeli military. At this time Larry was with 20 other internationals at the main hospital in Hebron. The internationals scattered throughout the hospital and with the ambulances to prevent the Israeli soldiers from attacking the doctors, nurses and ambulances. Larry and the 20 internationals were stopped and detained for three hours by the Israeli soldiers and then let go. The Israeli army also kidnapped a Palestinian doctor with the Red Crescent Society (see below). The internationals tried to prevent this.

He and the others are safe and staying at the hospital to continue their accompaniment of Palestinian health care professionals.

Contact Larry Hales through the contacts listed below.

From www.jerusalem.indymedia.org :

April 29, 2002, (8:20pm Palestine Time; 11:20am Mtn Time – USA): Further to the earlier arrest of Dr. Younis (Red Crescent) soldiers have just entered Al-Ahli hospital, in Hebron. The internationals are also there, having been prevented from moving to the other hospitals in the area.

CPT members (Christian Peacemaker Team) are currently in Al-Mizan hospital. This hospital has been shelled during previous Israeli attacks in Hebron.

Witnesses on the ground in Hebron:

Thomas - 011-972-67 346 410

Johanus - 011-972-55 616 775

Greg (CPT) - 011-972-52 954 394

(6:45pm Palestine Time): Dr. Younis, of the Red Crescent in Hebron, has just been arrested and taken by APC to an unkown location. He was with 20 internationals who are in Hebron to assist medical staff. There is a dire shortage of available staff in Hebron due to the restrictions placed on movement.

They were outside one of the four local hospitals where the group was set to divide up to serve each location. They were stopped and held for 3 hours, all identity papers and passports were taken.

The soldiers advanced to grab Dr. Yunis and the internationals surrounded him in an attempt to protect him. The soldiers snatched him after wrestling with the internationals.

For information please call witnesses:

Thomas - 011-972-67 346 410

Johanus - 011-972-55 616 775

(4:00am Palestine Time; 8:00pm Mtn Time – USA): Israeli forces entered the Palestinian part of Hebron and arrested suspected Palestinian militants. Nine Palestinians were killed and twenty-five wounded. Several buildings were also destroyed, including a television station. Throughout the day Israeli tanks, Armoured Personal Carriers (APCs) and jeeps patrolled the city while sporadic shooting could be heard. A curfew was placed on the city but Palestinians still ventured out to see what was happening and to get supplies from neighbors and stores that kept their doors closed. Tanks also took over key areas in the city. The Israeli aggression has thus far been directed against 80% of the Hebron area(called H1after the Hebron Parition Plan), including the neighbourhoods of Abu Sneineh and Harath al Sheikh.

The Israeli army stated that the goal of this aggression is to arrest persons suspected of being connected to Saturday's attack against the Israeli settlement of Adura. To date 90 Palestinians have been arrested, of them 17 persons already on Israeli 'wanted' lists.4 civilians were killed when a helicopter fired a missle at their house while a fifth person, declared 'wanted', was extrajudicially murdered in this attack.

Three additional people were injured south of Hebron and detained by Israeli forces.